Portland Girl Spotlight: Paisley Meekin

We are back at this month with our new Portland Girl Spotlight: Paisley Meekin.

Paisley is one seriously tough (and fun) chicka who I’ve had the pleasure of knowing for many years now. She has single-handedly whipped my butt into the best (and strongest) shape that I’ve ever been in AND she managed to make the process enjoyable.

I was so stoked when we moved into our Dekum shop location and realized that she and I were neighbors.

By the way, I’d like to give a big shout out to Shelby Brakken for taking the amazing photos in this interview!

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Tell us a little bit about yourself:

I was born and raised in the bush of Alaska. My Dad was a bush pilot and my parents owned a lodge where people from all over the world would come too. So needless to say I had a unique upbringing. I actually had to work (which I loved!) I am so appreciative of having parents with strong work ethics… it’s made me who I am today.

About 8 years ago I moved to Portland. I worked as a personal trainer at a gym for a few years but then decided that owning my own gym would be MUCH better. I opened Honest Training (was Honest Personal Training aka Honestpt) about 6 years ago. I have really thrived in this world of being an entrepreneur… I LOVE it!

Today we have hundreds of clients and 4 kick ass trainers. I have also expanded into doing fitness vacations. The first one is this January and we are going to Kona HI.

What kind of a “Portland Girl” are you?

When I’m not working on the biz I am hanging out with my lil pup Scout (a pit bull mix I rescued a few months ago) … so I am the kind of Portland girl you see at the dog park, out running, or out summiting peaks of the NW with friends and our fur babies.

I’m also the Portland Girl who loves to ride bikes (especially with my badass fiance Matthew Barney). We both race cyclocross in the fall and enjoy riding centuries with friends.

What is your biggest outlet for your creative expression?

Honestly, probably my business. I do all the marketing and most of the social media which involves lots of creative directing. I really enjoy music and movies too!

What 1 food and 1 beverage could you not live without?

Oh man! Tough. I would have to say a really really good burger and kombucha!

What is your favorite part of living in Portland, OR?

The access to SO MUCH outdoor activity. We can climb peaks in the high desert, go to the coast and eat fresh seafood, or ride bikes in the rainforest… what more can you ask for as far as outdoor adventure?

What is your current self-care routine, and why is it important to you?

Oh I could write a book on this! I take self care very seriously.

I move daily, some intense workouts some moderate/low, this keeps my head in the game and helps me stay ready for anything life hands me both physically and emotionally.

I sleep. I give myself a bedtime whether I’m tired or not. This is the foundation of everything for me as an athlete, a business owner and a human 🙂